re: Europe

Agents: I haven’t ever used one. It is very simple to book travel directly with airlines, hotels, Air BnB, etc. I can see the value in using an agent if you’re attempting to put together a complex itinerary for a larger group, but as an individual independent traveler, an agent isn’t really doing anything I can’t do myself. Caveat: educate yourself about your destination(s): guidebooks, message boards, etc. A little research helps you to plan effectively.

Guides: depends on where you’re going & what you’d like to see/do. I strongly prefer NOT to tour with a group, and I have had any number of experiences where the guide was poorly informed, annoying, or attempted to be entertaining/funny rather than focusing on the place/museum/materials at hand. Maybe you like that sort of thing....but my least favorite thing to do on vacation is to be herded about with 20 other Americans as a guide tries to humor them in hopes of earning tips. I’d rather read eight books about a place in advance, show up & experience it directly, then read some more about whatever I saw/did on the plane ride home. I don’t need someone verbally telling me about X as I look at it. I can prepare, experience, then recall later.....I know some folks just absolutely have to hear a schpiel and won’t read/research or know absolutely nothing about the place/culture/destination. You figure out what works best for you.

July is peak tourist season in many parts of Europe, so think about whether you want the crowds and lack of A/C in cities & major tourist destinations. I like the idea of Norway in July....